Expense-tabulator.



E. L. BROWN. EXPENSE TABULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 13,1913.

Patented pr, 21, 1914.

AND

8 E 8 8 M .H W

UNITED sTATEs PATENT ori fon.

EDWARD LOUNSBURG BROWN, O YORK, N. Yi, ASSIGNOR OF ONJ.

ALFRED R. RODWAY, OF NEW YORK, N, Y.

EXPENsE-TABULATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2t, 1.914.

Application filed August 13. 1913. Serial No. 784,640.

T o all ywhom, it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD L. Bnowx, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York,borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of Xew York, have inventeda ne\Y and Improved Expense-Tabulator, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description.

T his invention relates to an expense tabulator which is intendedprimarily for use by traveling salesmen, whereby each expense as it isincurred can be easily and conveniently recorded on a strip of paper orother table contained in the device for daily 0r weekly records, therebeing a suitable printing mechanism that is adapted to be manipulatedfor printing on the tape various items of expense and amounts thereof.The device, however, is not necessarily limited to use by salesmen, asit can be obviously adapted for use by others where it is de sired tomake expense and other lists, thereby doing away with the necessity ofhaving paper and pencil handy and of the inconveniencev of writing downthe entry.' v

The general objects of the invention are to provide a device of the'character referred to which is of comparatively simple and inexpensiveconstruction, reliable and etticient in use and so designed as to beconveniently carried in the pocket so as to be always ready for use.

More specifically, the invention has for its object to provide arecording device in the form of a casing which has onits exterior atable consisting of suitably arranged words, such as items of expenseand munbers representing dollars and cents, and wit-hin the casing is atype-carrying element having words and dollar and ccnt numberscorrespomgling to the same on the casing, and connected with the typeelement is a slider which the user adjusts to any desired word orlnunber on the face of the casing so as to bring the corresponding wordor number on the, tape into printing relation, and then by pressing apresser bar the type is pressed against the tape to imprint thereon thename or number desired to be recorded, the printing operation beingaccompanied b v the movement of the tape one space so as to be inposition for receiving the next. ilnpression.

Another objcct of the invention is the provision of record tape which isfolded back and forth in layers so as to take up comparatively littlespace and to dispense with spools or, rolls to hold the saine. the tapebeing arranged in a suitable holder or compartment from which it feedsto the printing mechaninn and in passing from the latter the tape may bewound oni, spool or folded in its original form and the whole recordkept for fidare reference. A tape folded in this um rr if adding,tabulating or other inachiin l jtwngtapes.

lYit-h these objects in \"w, and others as w11A appear as thedescription proceeds, the mventlon comprises various novel features ofconstruction and arrangement of parts which will be more full describedhereinafter and'set forth with particularity in the claims appendedhereto.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of theinvention, and wherein similar reference characters are employed todesignate corresponding parts throughout the several views, Figure l isa plan view of the device; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal ,section takenparallel with the face; Ft C3 is a transverse section on the line SW3 ofFig. L); Fig. 4 is a view of the typecarrying element; Fig. 5 is adetailed sectional view on the line 5"?) of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is asectional view of thc slider; and Fior. T a view of a portion of a tapeor paper with expense entries shown thereon,

Referring to the drawing, AY designates a suitably constructed casingthat isvprefv crablv of such sirio as to be convcnienttv carried in apocltct of one`s garment` and on the fate of the casing is a table lidivided into spaces Il cach containing a word t or number 5. In thepresent ius-tance the labio is such as would be used bv a travctingsalesman. and the wordsl ,shown are ot' the various items of expcnscthat :t salesman ac counts for to his employer. land the numbers are interms of dollars and cent:-A 'so that` the amounts of the variousexpenses` can be rc corded..`

Within the casing is a tlvpcaatrying clcmcnt ti which is shown as anendless strip of rubber that passes around guide pulleys or rollers Tmounted on s, "idlcs o. asctxirlv shown in Fig. 5. and on onc-halt otthil, .strip of rubber t are formed in tvpc words El and numbers l() tocorresl'iond to the words and numbers in the table V1? on thc face ofthe casing A. This type-carrying element t5 raduni, in

lil-5 is adapted to be moved to bring any word or number in printingrelation by means of a slider C that extends across the .tace of theeasing A with its ends ll and 12 slidably connected with one side of thecasing A and with a presser bar l5 atrthc opposite side. This presr baris formed with a bent lug or arm 1t which passes through a slot 15 inthe upper-face of the casing A and connects with the type-carryingelement 6 so that as the slider is moved back and forth between the endsof the casing the type-carrying element 6 is moved correspondingly. Theslider may be mounted in place in any suitable manner, as, vforinstance, by forming a groove l5 in the side lo of the casing A forreceiving an ear or lug 17 on one end ot the slider, such lug having anoffset portion 18 which engages in the channel 15, and the end 1Q of theslider is formed with a similar lug 19 which has a depressed or off-setportion 20 which engages in a longitudinal groove or channel 21 in thepresser bar 13. Arranged in the channels l5 and Q1 of the casing andpresser bar respectively are longitudinal wires and 23 which formretainers to hold the lugs 17 and 19 slidably engaged with the casingand presser bar. In adjusting the slider the ends 11 and 12 are grippedby the finger and thumb of one hand, as indicated in Fig. 3, while theother hand grips the ends of the casing, and when the device is so heldthe slider C can be moved bach and forth to shift the type-carryingelement to bring any desired number or word te printing position.

The slider C forms an index device or indicator in the adjusting oli thetype-carrying eleimnt. .For this purpose the left edge of the slider Cis straight and it is adapted to coperate with index lines 9A in thewords and number spaces of the table B, such index lines being arrangedin a predetermined order or according to the order in which the wordsand numbers appear on the typecarrying element G, Fin. Moreparticularly, the index lines :24 are arranged in series of steps, thelines of each series cor1'e spending to seven words or numbers andextending tr table B, Fig'. l, and the several series are spaced apartlongitnriinaliy of the table. linrthermore, tho adjacent index lines arespaced apart a distance equal to the distance between adjacent words ornumbers on the type element 6. dien the slider or indicator C is in theposition shown in Fig. 1, that is, with its straight edge registeringwith the index line in thc space of the table I3, in which 4.0i)appears, the type-carrying element it will be so disposed that the 4.00number ot the said clement will be in printingr position. Tilhen theindicator C is in alinement with the index line in the space containing?the word 'l`ips" the typerarf answrsely or vertically of the,

rying element 6 will be in such position that the Word Tips thereon Willbe in printing relation to the paper or tape in the device, so that itis merely necessary for the operator to shiftthe slider or indicator Cto the required index line and then operate the printing mechanism.

The pressingr of the type element against the strip of paper or tape 25is accomplished by a platen 26, Fig. 2, which is connected by a shank 27with the presser bar 13, and on the side of the type element 6 oppositefrom the platen is the bed 28 over Which the tape 25 is directed by thefixed guides 29 and 30, the bed 28 being in fact the central portion ofthe guide 29, and the guide 30 is made in two parts separated to admitof the bed between them. The presser bar is adapted to be operated bythe slide C While the same is grasped between the thumb and linger, asshown in Fig. 3, and for this purpose the slide C is made Ain twosections a and b, telescopicall y connected, the section b being thepart that engages with the presser bar. Behind the presser bar aresprings 3l which hold the bar projected, and this bar is provided withterminal members 32 which slide in openil'lgs 33 at the adjacent cornersof the casing, said members having lugs 34 disposed inside the casingfor holding the presser bar attached to the casing and yet allowing offree movement of the bar. In the operation of printing it is merelynecessary to move the slider to the right or left to bring it oppositethe desired word or number, and while the slider is still held apressure is applied to the part of thei slider with the result that theplaten 2G engages the type-carrying element G and presses the sameagainst the tape, whereby an impression is made, the type of the tapebeing inked by inking rolls 35 mounted adjacent the bed 28.

The means for feeding the tape in the present instance is shown as aroll 36 mounted in the casing and having a ratchet wheel 37 with whichengages a yielding pawl 38 that is mounted on a slide 39, which slide ispivotally connected with a lever 40 that is fulcrumed atfll and has apivotal connection 42 with the shank 27 of the platen 26, so that as theplaten and presser bar are moved inwardly the lever 40 will be operatedin a direction to drag the pawl 38 over a tooth of the ratchet wheel 37,and when pressure is released from the presser bar the springs of thelatter will restore the parts to normal position and thereby cause thepaw] 3S to turn the ratchet wheel one step, whereby the tape 25 will bemoved along over the l; zd 28 as the tape winds on the drum 36. The tape25 is ot any suitable length and is folded back and'.

forth in a zigzag fashion and mounted in a compartment or holder 4:0"lin the casing of the device. By folding the tape in this manner ai largepiece can be held in a comparatively small space, and a holding spoolfor the tape is obviated, yet the tape can readily feed from the zigzagpile without tearing, twisting or becoming otherwise deranged. Thecompartment 40 that holds the folded tape is formed by the top andbottom of the casing A, the ends and side walls thereof and the guide29. The folded tape is set loosely into this compartment so as toreadily unfold as the .tapeis fed through the printing mechanism. Byfold ing the tape no special means other than the compartment isnecessary to hold the tape.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, the advantages of the construction and methody of operationand of the device shown will be readily iinderstood by those skilled inthe art to which the invention appertains, and while I have describedthe principle of operation, together with the device which I nowconsider to bc the best embodiment thereof, I .desir to have itunderstood that the device siown is merely illustrative, and that suchchanges may be made when desired as are within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

l. A device of the class described comprising a easing, a table or scaleon the casing, a slider movable to different parts of the table, a. tapefeeding means in the casina. a bed on which the tape bears at all times,a printing mechanism on the casing for impressing the tape, saidmechanism including an endless type-carrying element and a platen, aconnection between the slider and element for moving the latter, and apresi-ier bar mounted on the casing and operating the platen to pressthe said element against the tape.

2. A device of the class described coniprising a casing, a table thereonincluding a serial arrangement of words and numbers. a slider movableover the table and into registry with any word or number, a printingmechanism in the casing and including a type-earrying element and a.platen, said slider consisting of telescoping sections, a presser bar, aconnection between the presser bar and slidable section o f the slider,and a tape-holdinf means against which the typeearrying element ispressed by the platen when the presser bar is actuated.

il. A device of the class described comprising a casing, a table thereonincluding a serial arrangement of words and numbers, a slider movableover the table and into registry with y any word or number, a printingmechanism 1n the casing and including a type-carrying element and aplaten, said slider consisting of telescoping sections, a presser bar, aconnection between the presser bar and slidable section of the slider, atape-holding means against which the type-carrying element is pressed bythe platen when the presser bar is actuated, .a feeding device for thetape, and means actuated by the presser bar for operating the feedingdevice.

4. A device of the class described comprisin a casing, a table thereonwith suitable ata, a slider on the casing and movable over the saidtable, a type-carrying element in the casing, a connection between thesaid element and slider, a presser bar exterior of the casing, a platen,said slider including a movable part having a sliding engagement withvthe presser bar, the said platen being connected with the presser barand disposed at one side of the said typeearrying element, a bed in thecasing disposed at the other side of the type-carrying element from theplaten, means for guiding the tape across the` bed, a feeding device forthe tape, and a ratchet and pawl means operated by the presser bar foractuating the feeding device,

A device of the class described comprising a casing, a table thereonwith suitable data, a slider on the casing and movable over the saidtable, a type-carrying element in the casing, a connection between thesaid element and slider, a presser bar exterior ol' the casing, aplaten, said slider including a movable part having a sliding engagementwith the presser bar, the said platen being connected with the presserbar and disposed at one side of the said type-earrying elenient, a bedin the casing disposed at the other side of the type-carrying elementfrein the platen, means for guiding the tape across the bed, a feedingdevice for the tape, said feeding device including a ratchet wheel and apawl, and a lever connected with the presser bar and with the pawl foractuating the latter.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

liDlVARD LO'UN SBURG BROIVN. Witnesses:

E. J. CLANsINe,

A. R. RoowAY.

, Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

